Tome of Revelation
This text is intended as a supplement to the modified Tome of Divinity originally circulated by the Raven Conclave. Unlike the Tome of Divinity, it is not a compilation of numerous prior Light religious texts, but rather a complete chronicle in three sections written by a single person: Triana Brandt, first Archon of the Raven Conclave. Within these sections, the text details contemporary events such as the fall of Lordaeron, the rise of the Scarlet Crusade, and the two expeditions to Northrend, as well as providing both a theological, abstract foundation for the faith and guidelines for its day-to-day practices and a prediction of the Raven's triumphant return. Possession of the text by Riftuei - the Conclave's term for apostate or unconverted - is considered highly heretical, and as such none have been able to be examined in full; most Raven Priests will destroy the text rather than let it fall into enemy hands. Contents The Tome of Revelation is divided into three sections - History, Acts, and Portents - each of which is further subdivided into individual books detailing a certain aspect of the faith. History The first of the three sections of the Tome is History. It is subdivided into four books - Mudas, Draen, Soran, and Chan. These books collectively detail the origins of the Scarlet Crusade, the Scarlet Onslaught, the Raven Conclave, and most notably the Raven himself, Admiral Westwind. Some of this text rings of historical accuracy, as the author was present for many of the events depicted; however, all of the books contain some apocrypha, and little if anything of the Book of Draen can be authenticated at all. Book of Mudas - The Book of the Doom of Man This book covers by far the largest swath of time of any of the Histories, beginning with the outbreak of the Plague in 20 LC and continuing up until the Scarlet Fleet's departure for Northrend around 25 LC. Certain events in the Book of Mudas receive more attention and detail than others, with Arthas playing an early role but largely fading from the narrative after the murder of his father. The Scarlet Crusade's formation is also very eastward-focused, with much more attention being paid to notable Crusaders in the Eastweald, such as Brigitte Abbendis and the Scarlet Oracle Demetria, than in western Lordaeron. However, despite some skewed perspective, this section is largely historically accurate. The most apocryphal portion of the text relates to the departure of the Scarlet Fleet for Northrend, as the author is believed to have not been present for the event, and her chronicling of it was likely done by retroactively questioning the Admiral. Book of Draen - The Book of Exile This book is by far the most speculative and least grounded of the Histories; the entirety of its time is spent in Northrend with Barean Westwind after the arrival of the Scarlet Fleet. The Fleet itself is quickly destroyed by the Scourge, and the book devolves into a theologist's travelogue, filled with romanticized musings and enlightening encounters with spirits and other phenomena. It concludes with Westwind's discovery of the Pit of Revelation, and his becoming the Raven. Book of Soran - The Book of the Savior Despite a rough beginning, here the Tome regains some authority as a historical source, as the author traveled with Abbendis to Northrend and was present for these events. Notably this book continues from Westwind's perspective, and the opening passages reflect more of the prior Book of Draen than the remainder of this book, following Westwind as he makes his preparations to meet the coming Onslaught. After meeting Abbendis at Galakrond's Rest, the book details the conversion of the Onslaught to the Raven faith, including a brief personal testament from the author of her own conversion. The book gives little attention to Abbendis and largely treats her as a side character, and Abbendis's death at the hands of Forsaken assassins is little more than a footnote. A scholar reading this book would do well to read it alongside Abbendis's own diary, which rounds out the story with a fresh perspective and allows the reader to more effectively notice Triana's biases in writing. Book of Chan - The Book of Loss This book is perhaps the one of most interest to historians; as far as can be told, it is believed to be largely historically accurate, unlike for instance the Book of Draen, but unlike the Books of Mudas and Soran, there are no other accounts for historians to reference regarding many of these events. As such, the Book of Chan is a great resource for chronicling what was largely considered the end of the Scarlet Onslaught. The book begins its recounting at Onslaught Harbor, where Westwind has gathered the nascent Conclave leadership - namely the author herself and the Archbishop Landgren - to inform them that he is soon to depart this world, and indeed many who laid the foundations for the faith would die. After following Westwind through his theological musings on the topic, the book then chronicles the assassinations of several key Onslaught figures, including multiple military officers and ultimately Landgren himself. Westwind is given a more poetic ending than the realistic depictions of the other assassinations, with Westwind ultimately not truly dying so much as simply fading from the world of the living. The book shifts into the author's own perspective at this point as she gathers the remnants of the Conclave and withdraws into the Pit of Revelation. Acts The section known as Acts can alternatively be divided into two separate categories, one retaining the name Acts and the other informally being known as Truths. The "Truths" section is typically thought to contain the first two books, the Books of Katethi and Ochtethi, while the other two books are retained by Acts. The "Truths" section of Acts presents the Raven perspective on theology, ruminating on the nature of the Light and darkness, while the true "Acts" section presents actual guidelines for the day-to-day life of adherents and details of the ritualistic practices of the Conclave. Book of Katethi - The Book of All Things This book is perhaps the most traditional of the Raven ideological books, as it is primarily a slight reimagining of the Light as known through the Tome of Divinity. It contains numerous prayers and hymns to the Light, and strongly suggests that the Light is an absolute power, far beyond the abilities or comprehension of lesser powers. It further expresses a belief in predestination. Book of Ochtethi - The Book of Nothing This book contains the core of the Raven ideology - that the Light is strongest in darkness. The book first presents a powerful and terrifying depiction of the oblivion found within the Pit of Revelation, meant to demonstrate the seemingly impervious and all-consuming nature of the shadow, but halfway through it turns and reminds the reader that the Light is an absolute power and as such even the all-consuming shadow is subordinate to it. The book suggests that true believers of the Light need not shirk from any deed or any power provided they perform it in the Light's name, as the Light's grace and power means that not only can It forgive the adherent the sins they perform in the Light's name, but also that the Light had a hand in placing these powers before Its adherents to be used. The text does not go so far as to say that the shadow is somehow part of the Light, but it comes close enough to doing so that this portion of the text is widely considered the most heretical of the books. Book of Krosnis - The Book of the Furnace This book is one of two detailing the physical worldly lives of adherents. It and its subsequent book, the Book of Thaelei, are meant to be read together, as both books have a tendency to jump around significantly in terms of content. The best way to explain it is to observe that each book is more interested in presenting the actions and rituals associated with a theme within Raven ideology rather than presenting them in an order conducive to performing said rituals. The Book of Krosnis is focused on embracing Raven ideology as Riftuei - that is, an unbeliever. Oddly, it gives little to no explanation of what it means to actually be Thaelei - that is, one of the faithful; this is a topic instead explored in the next book. Instead, one is encouraged to undertake the trials needed to become Thaelei and, upon doing so, discover what it means to be Thaelei. Simultaneously, it offers advice and wisdom to Raven Priests and Raven Dreadnaughts attempting to further their understanding of the balance between Light and shadow, and lays out the rituals needed to begin one's second life (a ritual only performed on those who have long since become Thaelei). Book of Thaelei - The Book of the Faithful This book picks up the numerous loose threads of the Book of Krosnis by explaining the duties, responsibilities, expectations, and rewards for the faithful. It is best described as a list of rules and explanations for those rules in theological terms, with various rituals for ceremonies and personal use described as well (notably, all actual magical rituals are contained within the Book of Krosnis). Portents This section of the Tome is technically only one book, called the Book of Kahl'dos - the Book of Victory. However, this section also contains several blank pages, likely intended for the writing of additional portents as they are revealed to the author, who considers herself an oracle. Book of Kahl'dos - The Book of Victory This book contains both theological and worldly predictions in a fairly haphazard manner, which could likely be attributed to the predictions being presented in the order they were realized by Triana rather than in an order meant to present them in a coherent manner to the reader. However, the central threads to the portents are that the Raven - Westwind - will return to Azeroth, and that the Thaelei will return to Lordaeron to reclaim it for humanity. It is difficult to determine exactly when many of these portents were written, or what information the author may have had prior to writing, but there are some striking moments of foresight one could attribute to her; for instance, one portent indicates that the sign that it is time to return will be a second Plague unleashed upon Lordaeron, this one killing the dead just as the previous killed the living, and thus leaving Lordaeron open to reclamation. Some would argue that this portent was fulfilled by Sylvanas plague-bombing the Undercity, an act that effectively drove the Undead from Lordaeron's ancestral home. Raventongue The Tome of Revelation also has a linguistic significance in that it is the primary source from which the Raven Conclave derives something of a unique language. This language, which as far as is known has no formal name, is informally known as Raventongue, and it bears striking resemblance to both Eredun and Draenic, though it is typically written using the Common alphabet. The language seems to be rarely used as a true method of communication, rather serving as a language for incantations and rituals, as well as providing a few common terms and names used by the faithful. All the books within the text, for instance, are named first in Raventongue.Category:Raven Conclave Category:Religion Category:Religious Items Category:Books